Pokemon: Stars of Celestia
by Zaion Indulias
Summary: In the aftermath of the battle between Palkia and Dialga the stars themselves have begun to fall upon the World of Pokemon. Now it is up to one brave group of Pokemon Trainers to uncover a millenia old mystery... before it is too late.


Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. I do own all original characters and creations for this story. This will be my only disclaimer unless I get bored.

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A Note from the Author

I feel that I must explain the nature of the world within this story is being written. I am utilizing the games primarily and creating a universal plot stretching across the games with some elements from the anime drawn upon for expansion of the world. The events of the original games as shown and expanded upon in the GBA remakes occurred approximately ten years before the present day. The events of Diamond and Pearl involving Palkia and Dialga occurred only very recently, so recently in fact that their space and time warping powers have affected space, resulting in setting events into motion which will involve the protagonist of our story and his friends. Zach Ambrose of Pallet Town has grown up idolizing Jake Red, a young man from his own home town who went forth and became a great trainer. He has also heard the stories of other great trainers from the Johto and Hoenn regions as well. Unfortunately, the events taking place in the Sinnoh region were too recent for him to have heard of, so the successes of Mai Daimond are still unknown to him. I have chosen, thanks to my memories of the very first time I played Pokemon, to name each of the great trainers accordingly from the game I choose to set, for my own sake, as the mostly-canon story for each of their rises to greatness.

Thank you for bearing with me through this lengthy explanation, and I hope that you will now enjoy Pokemon: Stars of Celestia, the first of several stories to be set in this World of Pokemon. Perhaps I may even go back in the future as well and tell the individual stories of the rise to greatness of Jake Red, Rachel Crystal, Karen Emerald, and Mai Diamond.

With best wishes,

Zaion Indulias

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Pokemon: Stars of Celestia

Part 1: Descent of Destiny

An Adventure in the World of Pokemon by Zaion Indulias

Introduction

Welcome my friends to the World of Pokemon.

Pokemon are mysterious creatures who contain within themselves mysterious powers. They live alongside humans, and many humans collect and train them for competitions known as Pokemon Battles. It has been ten years since the young trainer Jake Red set out from Pallet Town on his quest to become the greatest Pokemon trainer in the world, and the school year in the Kanto region is nearing its end. While some of the youthful inhabitants of a small town in the southwestern portion of the Kanto Region might be happy to settle down in jobs in local shops, or head off for university in the larger cities of Celadon, Cerulean, and Saffron, others feel wanderlust within themselves. These young men and women are those who are destined to one day become great Pokemon trainers.

At the end of the school year, all graduating seniors who have been taking the appropriate courses from the aging Professor Oak receive a young Pokemon to begin their training. This is often a relatively common type, such as a Rattata or a Pidgey, but sometimes students get lucky and receive something uncommon, such as a Bulbasaur or a Charmander, or even rarer, a Pokemon that Professor Oak has brought back from one of his visits to the other regions.

This year Professor Oak was pleased, as not only did he have six outstanding graduates who all intended to become professional Pokemon Trainers, but one of them intended to become a Pokemon Researcher like him self. On top of that, he had received a batch of Pokemon that he had been sent by researchers around the world who had been investigating the strange shooting stars that had begun occurring six weeks before, shortly after the reports of special instability in the Sinnoh Region had stopped. The researchers had reported that the Pokemon had all been captured in or around one of the impact sites, and that at least one of them was of a type that even Professor Oak's amazing invention the Pokedex could not identify.

It was into this mystery that a young boy and his new Pokemon partner were about to step.

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Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

Zach Ambrose yawned and sat up, stretching out as he did so. As he blearily rubbed his eyes to clear his vision he gazed around his room, taking in the sight of his usual mess of stuff. Against one wall stood shelf after shelf littered with Pokemon figurines and memorabilia, including a framed and signed photo of him grinning at a camera with Jake Red, the legendary Pokemon Master. Against another wall sat his desk with the computer he had built in electronics class and a large shelf containing all his school books. The other two walls, what weren't taken up by a door out of the room and his closet, were covered in posters, mostly commemorating various Pokemon tournaments, although at least one of the garish colored monstrosities depicted an action movie based on events that had occurred in the Hoenn Region a couple of years earlier.

"Zach! It's time to get up! You don't want to be late for graduation, do you?" Zach's mother's voice echoed up the stairs and through his open door.

Yawning, the silver haired boy slipped out of bed and grabbed a fluffy red towel off the back of his desk chair, treading down the hallway to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and soon the sound of running water could be heard as he prepared his shower.

Twenty minutes later Zach stepped back into his bedroom and closed the door, still drying his spiky red hair with the fluffy red towel. He marched over to his closet and opened it, pulling out a plain black t-shirt and a pair of black pants with dark red lining along the legs. He quickly slipped them on before grabbing a pair of socks and his black and purple boots. He finished his ensemble off by shrugging on a dark red jacket and slipping a black cap on with a lightning bolt across a blue circle depicted on the front.

Looking in a mirror, Zach smirked and grabbed a comb off of his desk, dropping it into his backpack before zipping it shut and rushing out the door. After a quick breakfast of toast and eggs prepared by his mother and her personal Pokemon Jynx, Zach was out the door and on his way to school, excited because today he not only graduated, but would receive his Pokemon partner.

When he finally arrived at his school he found that most of his classmates and their parents had already gathered. A small stage had been set up in the courtyard in front of the large building that functioned both as a school and a library for the small town. There were rows after rows of chairs to accommodate the friends and families of those who would be graduating on this bright sunny day. It appeared that most of the seats were already taken, the rest just waiting for the few last straggling parents to arrive. And off to one side of the stage stood the twenty other students from his year. With a grin on his face he broke into a light jog and waved hello to his classmates as he approached.

Most of the class just gave him small smiles or greetings in returned, but five in particular stood out in their welcoming smiles and their words of greeting. First was a tall boy with blue eyes and spiked silver-grey hair that he kept under control with a black bandana. He was wearing black pants and a blue vest over a short sleeve white t-shirt and had the handlebars of one of the new compact electric scooters sticking up over his left shoulder. This was Rick Silver, Zach's biggest rival in class and self-proclaimed God of Pokemon Training.

Second was a girl of about average height with short and straight blue hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of flared blue jeans and a white blouse with her usual dark blue pack strapped to her back. Attached to both of her legs via special straps, as well as her forearms and dangling from the belt around her waist, were numerous gadgets, including a dangling string of Pokeballs. This beauty was Allison Sapphire, Professor Oak's protégé and the single smartest person in the class. Zach had to admit that, had he not already been involved with someone, he would probably have asked her out.

Next up was a tall boy named Mark Ruby who had long spiky hair that was a much brighter red than Zach's own subdued shade. The boy had an obsession with all things ninja, so he was dressed in his usual attire of black shinobi garb with a facemask covering his mouth and a metal panel on his forehead, held in place by a black headband that wrapped around his head and kept his hair in (mostly) check. The metal forehead protector had a pokeball etched into it, and Mark's mask appeared to be a new one with some sort of filters built into it.

Next to him stood a small girl with short, pale blond hair and bright green eyes. She wore green shorts and a green long sleeve shirt, both of which were trimmed in yellow, and had a pair of yellow ribbons tied into her hair. She smiled as Zach approached and excitedly held up a yellow device. Zach recognized it instantly as one of the new model Poketech that had been imported from the Sinnoh Region recently. He assumed that Ayumi Yellow's parents must have given her it as a graduation gift and smiled back, sending her a little wave.

And last but certainly not least in Zach's eyes was a short girl with long golden blond hair that shimmered in the sunlight. She was wearing an orange miniskirt and tank top with a darker orange jacket unzipped over it. Her eyes glittered gold and her smile brightened as Zach came into view. Within seconds Zach found himself on the ground with a pain in his back as the blond girl tackled him in a big hug, shouting excitedly about "you're here you're here you're here!!" as she buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her back.

"Ok, I get it, I'm here." Zach said with a chuckle as he got into a sitting position with the blond girl still snuggling. "Man Katie, you're acting like you haven't seen me in ages."

"But I _haven't_ seen you in ages!" She whined petulantly as she snuggled against him, earning another chuckle from her boyfriend.

"So you consider not seeing me since last night ages then?" He asked with a thoughtful look on his face. "Man, I can't imagine how you'll survive being away at veterinary school for six months without me then."

Katie pulled back and socked Zach lightly in the arm before getting to her feet and crossing her arms, mock pouting at her boyfriend.

"You meanie." She said in her mock-pouting voice. "Why do you have to remind me of that fact? All I want is to spend as much time with you before I go as possible."

Zach rubbed his arm where she had punched him and got to his feet as well, smiling understandingly at the shorter girl.

"I know, Katie, I know. I'm sorry." He said as he stepped forward and embraced her in a light hug. "Can you forgive me?"

Katie smiled, but whatever her response would have been was cut off as a voice cut through the air, projected from the speakers set up on the stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention." Maria Wakefield said with authority.

Maria Wakefield was a stern woman in her late forties with slowly graying hair and wore a conservatively cut black suit. Her husband was a Pokemon researcher like Professor Oak, and had retired the year before to return to his home town and help his niece Kara Gold take care of her three children after her husband died from an unfortunate boating accident. The principal position at Pallet Town Academy (a lofty name for what was basically a glorified school) had opened up after the previous principal had retired for health reasons, so Maria had applied to and received the position. It was perfect for her, since it allowed her to work close to home, as well as allowing her to ensure that all three of the children that she and her husband were helping to take care of focused on their studies.

"Today, we are gathered here to honor our sons and daughters, who today graduate from high school to take their part as productive members of society." Principal Wakefield began as soon as the audience had quieted down. Behind her the twenty students stood silently at attention, everyone grinning from ear to ear. "I know that they will continue to make us all proud as they make their own ways in the world."

Principal Wakefield turned and began calling out names, and one by one each of the students stepped forward and shook her hand as they received their diploma, most pausing so that friends and family could snap pictures of the special moment. Finally, after all of the students had passed and all but six were gathered to one side of the stage Principal Wakefield continued speaking.

"And now, the final part of the graduation ceremony before we let these brave youths step forth into the world of adulthood. Professor Oak, if you would please step forward?" Maria said, waving the aging professor forward.

Oak was one of the greatest Pokemon Researchers of his generation, and his contributions had been so far reaching that no one had begrudged the old man his wish of building his research facility in an out of the way place like Pallet Town rather than in one of the more major cities. Thus he had spent the last fifteen years running his research out of the quite community, as well as teaching several classes at PTA in order to prepare the town's youths who wished to become trainers.

"Thank you, Principal Wakefield." He said politely as he stepped forward and took the microphone from her. "And hello everyone."

He smiled at the crowd as two of his assistants hurried up beside him and set six metal cases on the table beside the podium. Each case was about a foot and a half in length, a foot in height, and about eight inches in width. Their surfaces bore intricately carved etchings of Pokemon. Although the gathered parents and friends couldn't see it, each case had a name carved on top of it; one for each of the six students who had successfully completed Professor Oak's advanced Pokemon care and training classes. Normally they would have had to go to a university or through a training program at a gym, but thanks to having such a renowned expert as Professor Oak around the school had been able to set up a licensed training program. Now this year's six examinees would be presented with both their official Pokemon Trainer licenses and their first Pokemon, a personal gift from Professor Oak him self.

"Today, your children become young men and woman, stepping forth into the world on their own two legs. But some of your children were more ambitious than simply becoming adults, and have succeeded not only in their normal school work, but also in their advanced classes. Six stand above the rest, both in academic achievement and in succeeding in passing their POKÉS (Pokemon Official Keeper Examination Series) with distinction. I present them to you now as they receive their Official Pokemon Trainer Licenses, as well as their first Pokemon."

Their were cheers and claps around the courtyard as Professor Oak turned, motioning for the line of six students to step forward, each of whom was grinning from ear to ear. Each one stepped forward, shaking the Professor's hand as he handed them the case to open and announced their names to the world.

"Max Ruby, who is receiving a Charmander." The red haired boy's jaw nearly dropped in shock at receiving such an awesome Pokemon. Last years class had mostly received normal and grass types so he had lost all hope at receiving anything cool.

"Allison Sapphire, who is receiving a Squirtle." The blue-haired girl practically had stars in her eyes as she squealed in excitement at receiving a water-type Pokemon.

"Rick Silver, who is receiving a Bulbasaur." The grey-haired boy smirked and raised his case over his head, earning cheers from a pair of silver-haired boys in the back of the clapping and cheering crowd as he walked over to stand with the rest of his classmates.

"Ayumi Yellow, who is receiving a Pikachu." The blond girl smiled demurely as she quietly thanked Professor Oak and gave him a big hug before running off to join her friends, the case hugged tightly to her chest.

"Zach Ambrose, who is receiving a Growlithe." Zach stepped forward with a massive grin on his face as he shook Professor Oak's hand and frantically tried to remember everything he knew about Growlithe.

_Fire-type, specializing in both fire-attacks and direct combat. Playful, loyal, protecting. Often used by the Police as partners thanks to their ability to track and detain suspects. Evolves into Arcanine if exposed to a fire stone at the proper point in its training and evolution._

Zach's grin remained plastered on his face as he joined his friends, happily accepting their congratulations.

"And finally, Katie Gold, who receives an Eevee." Zach's girlfriend had the biggest grin he had ever seen on her face as she excitedly bounced around, holding the case over her head as she raced towards him.

"Did you hear Zach!? I got an Eevee!! An Eevee!! Can you believe it?!" She cried excitedly as she collided with him, snuggling as he embraced her in a hug and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I've always wanted an Eevee!! That's it, it's settled. I don't need to be a trainer. I could die happy right now!"

Zach chuckled and pulled back slightly so that he could look down at his girlfriend's smiling face.

"Don't do that now baby. If you did I'd have to waste time finding a way to bring you back to life and I'd never get any training done.

Katie chuckled and pushed up onto the tips of her toes, catching Zach's lips in a light kiss before she spun and ran off towards where her mother and siblings were waiting for her.

"I'll call you later Zach!!" She called out as she ran off, shooting him one last radiant smile before she disappeared into the crowd.

Zach smiled and upon seeing that all his other classmates were already wrapped up in hugs from their family walked over to where Professor Oak was standing.

"Professor, could I ask you a quick question?" Zach asked as he got the man's attention.

"Of course Zach. What can I do for you?" Professor Oak said with a smile on his face.

"Well, as you know, I've decided to become a Pokemon Trainer. I was just wondering, but do you have any last minute advice?"

The old Professor chuckled and his eyes glazed over for a moment as he remembered a very similar question from another young man over a decade earlier.

"Hmm, well, I do have a few pieces of advice." Professor Oak said after shaking him self from his reverie. "First, make sure you treat your Pokemon as friends and not as tools. They will grow far stronger if they are your friends and you work together alongside them. Training yourself physically as well couldn't hurt in encouraging your Pokemon either."

Zach chuckled and smiled, tucking his case under his arm.

"Thanks Professor, that is actually a really great idea."

"Zach! Zach honey, where are you!?" Zach's mother's voice rang out from the crowd of happy families.

"Whoops, gotta run Professor. I'll drop you a line in a week or two to let you know how I'm doing." Zach said as he ran off to find his mom.

As Zach and his mother embraced in an emotional hug, both smiling that he had finally graduated and both just a little sad that his father had not been able to return from his work overseas in time for the ceremony, no one noticed a Pidgey in a tree by the wall that surrounded the school whistle and then flap its wings and fly off. If anyone had been paying enough attention they would have noticed the sleek video camera and parabolic microphone strapped to the back of the small bird.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, in a small dark office at an undisclosed location, a tall hooded figure sat illuminated only by the flickering of the large screen before it. The figure chuckled, a deep rolling chuckle like a mini-earthquake. On the screen before it a recording was replaying, showing Professor Oak announcing the six new Trainers and the Pokemon they were receiving.

"It's really quite interesting." The figure's masculine voice echoed around the room. "For all your years as a researcher, you missed the most obvious signs in that Pokemon you had your hands on. Old age must be getting to you, Genius Professor, if you failed to recognize a relic of the Heavenly Gate."

The figure reached out with one robed hand and flicked a switch, causing the screen to begin to dim. As the light began to fade he reached up with one hand and slid his hood off, revealing a face that was clearly not human. The eyes were large and most of the head was covered in a thin layer of shiny metal that was molded deftly to the curves of the head and the horns that rose out of its head. What was revealed of its skin was a pale color, though whether it was white, pink, purple, or some mixture thereof could not be determined as the lights fully went out.

In the darkness of the chamber there was a faint pop, like air rushing into a suddenly open space, and the faint rustling sound of a robe drifting to the ground.

* * *

A Note from the Author

There you have it, the first chapter of "Pokemon: Stars of Celestia". I hope you enjoyed it, as this has been a long time coming to fruition, and I personally have great expectations for this project. I am sure many of you are wondering who that mysterious figure was in the last segment, what its goal is and what its connection to Professor Oak is, but I must apologetically decline to give any details. I do not wish to spoil the story, and what that figure was is intricately tied with the plot. As to which Pokemon the figure was referring to, you will all just have to wait and see. The answer may not be as obvious as you think.

I thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart for reading the crazed writings of this poor soul, and for those who have made it this far, I hope that you will continue to be pleased with the stories that I bring to you.

Thanks for reading,

Zaion Indulias


End file.
